I don’t understand it, I just don’t. Is it the Scottish cringe? Some historical embarrassment the nation suffered under the Saltire. Okay, bagpipes can be a bit grating, if played poorly. And haggis, well perhaps an acquired taste. But why so much collective unease...

The last time I found myself at the Marriot in Glasgow it was a time of political awakening for many. During the heated crucible of the independence referendum, I crammed into a hall with a thousand others who had made up their mind that an independent Scotland was...